Fire-escape.



P. H. SHEA. FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION rum) JUNE 26,1914.

Patented D60. 15. 1914:.

WITNESSES: 1% M4 dfim. H w

A T TOR NE Y.

P. H. SHEA. FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED sum. as, 14114.

Patented Dee 15, 1914.

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FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26,1914.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.-

ooauu IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

WI TN ESSES:

IIITEI) STATES PA TENT OFFICE.

PATRICK H. SHEA, F LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

142 Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 15, 1914- Application filed June 26, 1914. Serial No. 847,449.

To all'wlzomit may concern: pressure therein while the lazy tongs act Be it known that I, PATRICK H. SHEA, a more as a regulator for the height and as citizen of the United States, residing at a stifi'ener to mate the device more rigid. Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State In t e drawings, Figure 1 1s a side elecertain new vation showing of filassachusetts, have invented greatest height.

and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

his invention relates to lire escapes and similar devices for rescuing persons or saving property from burning buildings. It belongs to that class of devices which are intended to be transported on a wheeled truck which may be drawn by animals or which may be propelled by its own power.

the platform Fig. is a detail side eleis a plan View looking down on the line X-Y of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an elevation from the left of the device as shown in Fig. l with some parts removed It is of what might be called the collapsible for clearness. Fig. 6 is a detail plan view tower type, that is, while being transported of one of the windlasses. Fig. through the streets, it is of relatively small tlonal elevation height, but it can be rapidly raised to a rela- Fig. 8 is a detail tively great height and can be stopped and mg the revoluble base in position with refheld at any intermediate point. At the top, erence to the truck body. Fig. 9 is a detail it carries a platform with a of the ladder and adjustable connection with which can be operated from the ground so the base.

platform A represents the body of a truck and B ledge or other part of the burning building. represents the wheels thereof. The base C )n the end of the platform opposite the of my device is pivotally mounted on body prefer to provide a ladder A ap 'iroximately near the center thereof. which extends downwardto the truck, and prefer to make it of wood strongly braced at the same end, I may also provide a of metal and I prefer hoist. lnclose this hoist in a that the middle portion at 11 should be raised as shown in Fig. 1. Under and across raised portion 11, I place a supporting bar 14 which has a depending stud 18 which extends down through a collar 37 which is integral with a circular base 100 which is fixed to body A and extends downward be protected from fire and water while descending or ascending.

The principal feature of my invention is the combination of a series of te escoping tubes, one set of which operated, with mechanism whereby the lazy tongs may be extended or retracted and held in any desired position. The pneumatically operated tubes serve the purpose of rapidly and forcibly raising the platform with its attachments, either in direct cooperation with the action of the lazy tongs or, as may occur, against their resistance, until they are gradually released and permitted the upwardly which enters rooves 17 in bar 14. This eaves on bar 14 a downwardly extending grooved flange 102 outside of annular flange 101. The lower larger n1embers :20 and 26 of two sets of telescoping tubes pass downward through suitable holes and 16 in raised portion 11 and preferably are reduced in size at 12 and 13 where they enter suitable holes in bar 14 thusbeing supported thereon by annular shoulders. action of the lazy tongs will Pins 36 which enter 14, and 96 hold these i parts together. In this manner, base C carrying tubes 20 and 26 is revoluble on circuraised to its It may be desirable to have depending can be turned to connect directly through curved projections 120 and 121 which enpipe 31 with tank 32. At the sideof the telegage curved slots 122 and 123 in body A scoping tubes, I locate one or preferably two all being curved on'a radius which coincides systems of lazy tongs parallelwith eac with the p votal center of bar 14 to assist in other and preferably at right angles to a 7 guiding and steadying the base 0 when it plane which asses through the-three tubes. is revolved. It is desirable to lock the base These lazy tongs E and. F are both alike and C in position at right angles to truck body each is pivoted at the rear and bottom to a A or indirection parallel therewith and for fixed support 40 while at the top and'rear 10 this purpose I prefer to use lockingbolts each is pivoted at 41 to platform 1). At the 75 151 which are slidable in opposite radial front "and top, the. forwardly extending directions in bar 14 and are adapted to enmembers are connected and supported by a ter any 0 the four socl ets 152 arranged connecting rod 50 slidable inhorizontal slots preferably 90. degrees apart'in the upwardly 49 through the depending side frame work 15 extending flange 101 of base 100 through 42 of the platform D. At the bottom and so suitable holes 153 in bar 14. These locking front each forwardly projecting member is bolts 151 are pivoted to hand. levers 158 ivotedto a movable member 43 which is which are pivoted at 157 and 159 extended slidable in asuitable groove 44 in base C i from bar 14. They are pivotally connecte These front bottom slidable members 43 0 by a connecting rod 155. By means of these and43 are fixed to a brace 48 through which 3.5 hand. levers 158, the locking bolts 151 may passes a powerful screw 45 supported by be released at the same time or caused to enbearings 46 and 47. To operate lazy tongs gage with any two of the sockets 152 when controlling screw 45, I prefer to arrange at in the proper position. The device may one end a gear 52 which engages an approthus be securely locked either lengthwise or priate gear 53 carried by a shaft 54 support- 90 crosswise of the truck body. ed by standards 55 and operative by a handle The tubes '20 and 26 extend vertically 56. 52 and 53 should be worm gears. The from base C and between them supported by pitch of the thread on screw 45, gear 52 and a suitable base bar 160 is a third tube 23. gear 53 is so small that neither the weight of e Extending inside of tube 20 are telethe platform D, of the lazy tongs and other 95 scoping tubes 21 and 22 and inside of tube partswill cause them to reverse nor will the 26 are telescoping tubes 27 and 28 while. pneumatic pressure used in lifting the parts inside of tube 23 are telescoping tubes 24 be suflicient to cause them to act. In this and 25. The lower members of these three way, I find that no catch or locking mechasets of telescoping tubes are fixed while the nism is necessary. y this combination of 100 upper and interior members are slidable lifting telescoping tubes and lazy tongs,

. with a running lit. The middle set compriswhen it is desired to raise platform D, the

ving tubes 25, 23, 24 must be air tight. The two way valve 35 is turned to admit commembers of the same size are suitably braced pressed air from tank 32 into tube '23 and 1 and connected together at 29 and 30 while handle 56 1S turned in the proper direction 1 at the bottom they are held in position by at the same time. The lifting action thus base 0 and at the top by platform D to the obtained is much more powerful than would bottom of which top members 22, 25, 28 are be secured by attempting to extend the lazy fixed. I prefer to use the outside telescopic tongs merely by bringing together the suptubes 20, 21, 22 26 27, 28 merely as guides ports 40 and 43, as, when in the down posi- 110 and to use the middle set 23, 24 and 25 for tion, the leverage on the lazy tongs is so lifting purposes. small that unless exceedingly heavy, they Into the bottom member 23 enters a tube would be likely to break before the platform 31 which connects with a pressure or storage could be lifted. With my arrangement,how- I tank 32 connected with an air pump 33 ever, the weight is taken up by the lifting 115 driven by any suitable. motor 34. If conventubes and it is merely necessary to turn the ient this motor 34 maybe the one which handle 56 in such direction as to cause the 'produces'the power. for driving the truck in supports 43, 43 to approach 40, 40 thus pen which case suitable clutches and other conmittin the lazy tongs to extend. If it is nections must be provided. If preferred, desire to sto the device at any point such 126 the air pump and motor may be dispensed as shown in l ig. 2, it is necessary only to with and the storage tank 32 may be filled stop turning handle 56. To lower the plat at a station-as for instance, the engine house. form, the valve 35 is turned so as to dis- In storage tank connecting tube 31, I place chargethe air from the lifting tubes rapidly a two wayvalve 35 by which air may be or slowly as des'red and the handle 56 is 12! introduced from the tank 32 into the lifting turned in the appropriate direction to pertelescoping tubes or it may be discharged mit the lazy tongs to extend or retract. therefrom. This valve has one port'which prefer to connect my parallel sets of lazy can be turned to connect with the atmostongs by connecting rods 51 which act as phere from member 23 and another which pivotsfor the members thereof; 13

supported At one end of my platform D, I prefer to pivot at 61, a drawbridge which preferably has a hook 62 at its lower outer extremity adapted to hook onto a if desired.

window sill It preferably has rails 63 which f rope properly supported and attached to its outer end and passed between two pulleys 87 as shown in Fig. 1. It then passes downward revoluble on one of the connecting rods 51 between the two sets of lazy tongs and thence to a Windlass shown in detail-in Fig. 6. To lower standard 6t whlch extends downward therehence to Windlass 70. preferably supported 72. Through bearing which extends a flexible ladder 82 which is preferably madeof metal. This ladder ex tends downward and preferably connects with a standard 83 carried by base C. I prefer also to arrange the length of this ladder so that it will become taut when D is at or near the desired height whereby it will act not only as a brace or for any weight on drawbridge 60 but Wlll. be firm and stiff instead of shaking w en persons are descending or ascending.

I nd it convenient to adjust the length of ladder 82 by using two hooks 84 pivoted to standard 83 as sh tubes and lazy tongs. at the outer end of platform D, a hoist which comprises a car by a rope 91 which passes over a pulley 92 in proximity to a man hole 93 through platform D. This rope 91 extends therefrom over another pulley 94 thence means downward over other pulleys 95 and 96 to a Windlass 97 whereby car 90 may be raised or lowered at will. I prefer also to use a foot brake device 98 whereby the descent of the car may be regulated by the foot as well as by the hands, as by a pedal 99. I prefer to have my car 90 travel up and down through a chute of canvas 103. his may n although I find working parts are carried by chance of tangling up the that there is no ropes, connections. etc, when the platform is swung into position, as it usually will be at right angles to the roadway. The center flange 101 is also the center of of annular stud 18. C may be revolved'by hand laterally rigid. are preferably connected by cross bars 106 forming a frame through which car 90 can pass. They are preferably steadied or supported when in the down position by legs 107. Several lines of reef-points 108 on chute 103 permit the slack to be gathered in and lashed to frame and 106 when the to be used at a point below claim: 1. In a the operation of the lifting tubes for extending or retracting the lazy tongs as described.

2. In a portable fire escape, the combination of a base, pneumatically scopic tubes carried at the bottom thereby, a platform attached to the top of said tubes, for providing pneumatic pressure for said tubes, lazy tongs w ich extend between the base and platform in operative relation with the telescopic tubes, and a screw in operative relation with the lazy tongs adapted to control the operation of the lifting tubes by extending or retracting the lazy tongs as described.

3. In a portable fire escape, the combination of a base, pneumatically operative teleoperative telescopic tubes'carried at the bottomthereby, a other worm gear operative by a handle in vplatform attached to the top of said tubes, engagement therewith as describe means for providing pneumatic pressure for 5. In a portable fire escape, the combinasaid tubes, two systems of lazy tongs paraltion of a truck body having wheels, with a lel with and connected with each vother at base revoluble thereon, a plurality of sets of right angles to the telescopic tubes and expneumatically operative telescopic tubes cartended between the base and platform, and ried at their bottoms by the base, a platform positive means adapted to control the operattached to the top members of said tubes, ation of the lifting tubes for extending or means for providing pneumatic pressure for 10 retracting the lazy tongs as described. said tubes, lazy tongs which extend between 4. In a portable fire escape, the combinathe base and platform in operative relation tion of pneumatically operative telescopic with the telescopic tubes, and positive means lifting. tubes, means for furnishing pneuadapted to control the operation 0 the liftmatic pressure therefor, a platform attached ing tubes for extending or retracting the 5 to the top thereof, lazy tongs attached to the lazy tongs as described.

platform in operative relation with the tele- In testimony whereof I hereto affix my scopic tubes, a base which carries the lower signature in presence of two witnesses. members of the lifting tubes and of the lazy PATRICK H. S tongs, and a screw which connects the bot- Witnesses:

20 tom members of the. lazy tongs, together GARDNER W. PEARSON,

f M with a worm gear carried thereby, an an- HARRY RQLAWRENOE. 

